Marijuana use among the senior generation is a growing trend, and that use is helping with chronic pain and other issues. However, that decision is overshadowed by guilt, considering many of these new users raised their children with strict orders to stay away from drugs, this one among them.
Public perception in the 1960s and 1970s had been that marijuana use, despite its increase at the time, was ‘bad’. In fact, up until recently perception and the fact it was illegal had painted marijuana as a dangerous drug while keeping it at the forefront of ‘Drugs are Bad’ campaigns.
Many people who raised their children with strict orders to avoid drugs are now being prescribed this drug to help with chronic pain, sleep issues or other problems that modern medicine has not been adequately addressing.
Current statistics show that 70% of millennials support legalization, while 35% of those over age 72 were supporting the proposal. Ironically, that is following a 29% improvement since a similar study completed in 2015.
These individuals are parents and grandparents, and they have a hard time reconciling their prescribed use of marijuana with the fact that they were very outspoken in the past regarding their children’s recreational use of the same substance. Currently, older generations are coming around to the idea of medical use. However, with the increasing amount of states legalizing recreational use, it won’t be long until the baby boomers and other older generations have to accept that their relatives can legally use marijuana in various states.
Unfortunately for those who are most receptive to the idea, Medicare is still struggling to change with the times. Their prescription for marijuana won’t be covered by insurance, leaving them to pay for the effective treatment option out-of-pocket. They also typically opt to consume edibles rather than smoke the drug, as it makes it less obvious they are using it and still provides sufficient results in pain management and sleep aid.
Studies show that as legalization is gaining momentum in various states, older generations are increasing their use of marijuana. It just goes to show that in the near future, grandma and grandpa may be more likely to sit down with their newly adult grandchildren to enjoy marijuana, a far cry from the days when both they and mom and dad are telling the kids “Stay away from marijuana”.
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